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Herrera G, Scimonelli T, Lasaga M, Granero G, Onnainty R. Polysorbate 80 coated chitosan nanoparticles for delivery of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog (NDP-MSH) to the brain reverse cognitive impairment related to neuroinflammation produced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Neuropharmacology 2024; 253:109969. [PMID: 38688422 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop polysorbate 80-coated chitosan nanoparticles (PS80/CS NPs) as a delivery system for improved brain targeting of α-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone analog (NDP-MSH). Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with NDP-MSH were surface-modified with polysorbate 80 ([NDP-MSH]-PS80/CS NP), which formed a flattened layer on their surface. Nanoparticle preparation involved ionic gelation, followed by characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology, dynamic light scattering (DLS) for colloidal properties, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for structure. Intraperitoneal injection of FITC-PS80/CS NPs and [NDP-MSH]-PS80/CS NP in rats demonstrated their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, reach the brain, and accumulate in CA1 neurons of the dorsal hippocampus within 2 h. Two experimental models of neuroinflammation were employed with Male Wistar rats: a short-term model involving high-fat diet (HFD) consumption for 5 days followed by an immune stimulus with LPS, and a long-term model involving HFD consumption for 8 weeks. In both models, [NDP-MSH]-PS80/CS NPs could reverse the decreased expression of contextual fear memory induced by the diets. These findings suggest that [NDP-MSH]-PS80/CS NPs offer a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of NDP-MSH regarding pharmacokinetics and enzymatic stability. By facilitating NDP-MSH delivery to the hippocampus, these nanoparticles can potentially mitigate the cognitive impairments associated with HFD consumption and neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Herrera
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba, IFEC-CONICET. Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orshinger, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Teresa Scimonelli
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba, IFEC-CONICET. Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orshinger, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Lasaga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gladys Granero
- Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica (UNITEFA), UNC-CONICET, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Renée Onnainty
- Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica (UNITEFA), UNC-CONICET, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
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Yount ST, Wang S, Allen AT, Shapiro LP, Butkovich LM, Gourley SL. A molecularly defined orbitofrontal cortical neuron population controls compulsive-like behavior, but not inflexible choice or habit. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 238:102632. [PMID: 38821345 PMCID: PMC11332912 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Habits are familiar behaviors triggered by cues, not outcome predictability, and are insensitive to changes in the environment. They are adaptive under many circumstances but can be considered antecedent to compulsions and intrusive thoughts that drive persistent, potentially maladaptive behavior. Whether compulsive-like and habit-like behaviors share neural substrates is still being determined. Here, we investigated mice bred to display inflexible reward-seeking behaviors that are insensitive to action consequences. We found that these mice demonstrate habitual response biases and compulsive-like grooming behavior that was reversible by fluoxetine and ketamine. They also suffer dendritic spine attrition on excitatory neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Nevertheless, synaptic melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), a factor implicated in compulsive behavior, is preserved, leading to the hypothesis that Mc4r+ OFC neurons may drive aberrant behaviors. Repeated chemogenetic stimulation of Mc4r+ OFC neurons triggered compulsive and not inflexible or habitual response biases in otherwise typical mice. Thus, Mc4r+ neurons within the OFC appear to drive compulsive-like behavior that is dissociable from habitual behavior. Understanding which neuron populations trigger distinct behaviors may advance efforts to mitigate harmful compulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie T Yount
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Silu Wang
- Emory National Primate Research Center, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aylet T Allen
- Emory National Primate Research Center, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Lauren P Shapiro
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Laura M Butkovich
- Emory National Primate Research Center, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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3
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Herrera G, Silvero C MJ, Becerra MC, Lasaga M, Scimonelli T. Modulatory role of α-MSH in hippocampal-dependent memory impairment, synaptic plasticity changes, oxidative stress, and astrocyte reactivity induced by short-term high-fat diet intake. Neuropharmacology 2023; 239:109688. [PMID: 37591460 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
High-fat diet (HFD) consumption is associated with cognitive deficits and neurodegenerative diseases. Since the hippocampus is extremely sensitive to pathophysiological changes, neuroinflammation and the concomitant oxidative stress induced by HFD can significantly interfere with hippocampal-dependent functions related to learning and memory. The neuropeptide alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) mediates neuroprotective actions in the central nervous system and can reverse the effects of neuroinflammation in cognitive functions that depend on the hippocampus. In this study, we used male Wistar rats to evaluate the effect of short-term HFD intake (5 days) plus a mild immune challenge, Lipopolysaccharide (LPS 10 μg/kg) on contextual fear, changes in structural plasticity, oxidative stress, and astrocyte reactivation in the hippocampus. We also determined the possible modulatory role of α-MSH. HFD consumption was associated with an increase in markers of oxidative stress (Advanced oxidation protein products and Malondialdehyde) in the dorsal hippocampus (DH). We also found changes in hippocampal structural synaptic plasticity, observing a decrease in total spine in the DH after HFD plus LPS. We observed astrocyte proliferation and a significant increase in the percentage of the area occupied by GFAP. Treatment with α-MSH (0.1 μg/0.25 μl) in the DH reversed the effect of short-term HFD plus LPS on contextual fear memory, oxidative stress, and spine density. α-MSH also reduced astrocyte proliferation. Our present results indicate that HFD consumption for a short period sensitizes the central nervous system (CNS) to a subsequent immune challenge and impairs contextual fear memory and that α-MSH could have a modulatory protective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Herrera
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba, IFEC-CONICET. Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orshinger, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - M Jazmín Silvero C
- Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica UNITEFA-CONICET. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M Cecilia Becerra
- Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica UNITEFA-CONICET. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Lasaga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Teresa Scimonelli
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba, IFEC-CONICET. Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orshinger, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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Gebrie A. The melanocortin receptor signaling system and its role in neuroprotection against neurodegeneration: Therapeutic insights. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1527:30-41. [PMID: 37526975 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The melanocortin signaling system consists of the melanocortin peptides, their distinctive receptors, accessory proteins, and endogenous antagonists. Melanocortin peptides are small peptide hormones that have been studied in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. There are five types of melanocortin receptors, and they are distributed within the central nervous system and in several tissues of the periphery. The G protein-coupled melanocortin receptors typically signal through adenylyl cyclase and other downstream signaling pathways. Depending on the ligand, surface expression of melanocortin receptor, receptor occupancy period, related proteins, the type of cell, and other parameters, the signaling pathways are complicated and pleiotropic. While it is known that all five melanocortin receptors are coupled to Gs, they can also occasionally couple to Gq or Gi. Both direct and indirect neuroprotection are induced by the melanocortin signaling system. Targeting several of the components of the melanocortin signaling system (ligands, receptors, accessory proteins, signaling effectors, and regulators) may provide therapeutic opportunities. Activation of the melanocortin system improves different functional traits in neurodegenerative diseases. There is a potential for additional melanocortin system interventions by interfering with dimerization or dissociation. This review aims to discuss the melanocortin receptor signaling system and its role in neuroprotection, as well as its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alemu Gebrie
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia
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Deng Q, Zhang SQ, Yang PF, Dong WT, Wang F, Long LH, Chen JG. α-MSH-catabolic enzyme prolylcarboxypeptidase in nucleus accumbens shell ameliorates stress susceptibility in mice through regulating synaptic plasticity. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:1576-1588. [PMID: 37012493 PMCID: PMC10374542 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01074-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence demonstrates the vital role of synaptic transmission and structural remodeling in major depressive disorder. Activation of melanocortin receptors facilitates stress-induced emotional behavior. Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is a serine protease, which splits the C-terminal amino acid of α-MSH and inactivates it. In this study, we asked whether PRCP, the endogenous enzyme of melanocortin system, might play a role in stress susceptibility via regulating synaptic adaptations. Mice were subjected to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) or subthreshold social defeat stress (SSDS). Depressive-like behavior was assessed in SIT, SPT, TST and FST. Based on to behavioral assessments, mice were divided into the susceptible (SUS) and resilient (RES) groups. After social defeat stress, drug infusion or viral expression and behavioral tests, morphological and electrophysiological analysis were conducted in PFX-fixed and fresh brain slices containing the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcsh). We showed that PRCP was downregulated in NAcsh of susceptible mice. Administration of fluoxetine (20 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.p., for 2 weeks) ameliorated the depressive-like behavior, and restored the expression levels of PRCP in NAcsh of susceptible mice. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of PRCP in NAcsh by microinjection of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-prolyl-L-prolinal (ZPP) or LV-shPRCP enhanced the excitatory synaptic transmission in NAcsh, facilitating stress susceptibility via central melanocortin receptors. On the contrary, overexpression of PRCP in NAcsh by microinjection of AAV-PRCP alleviated the depressive-like behavior and reversed the enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission, abnormal dendritogenesis and spinogenesis in NAcsh induced by chronic stress. Furthermore, chronic stress increased the level of CaMKIIα, a kinase closely related to synaptic plasticity, in NAcsh. The elevated level of CaMKIIα was reversed by overexpression of PRCP in NAcsh. Pharmacological inhibition of CaMKIIα in NAcsh alleviated stress susceptibility induced by PRCP knockdown. This study has revealed the essential role of PRCP in relieving stress susceptibility through melanocortin signaling-mediated synaptic plasticity in NAcsh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Deng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shao-Qi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ping-Fen Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Wan-Ting Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Li-Hong Long
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Deng Q, Zhang S, Yang P, Dong W, Wang J, Chen J, Wang F, Long L. A thalamic circuit facilitates stress susceptibility via melanocortin 4 receptor-mediated activation of nucleus accumbens shell. CNS Neurosci Ther 2022; 29:646-658. [PMID: 36510669 PMCID: PMC9873525 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Central melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) has been reported to induce anhedonia via eliciting dysfunction of excitatory synapses. It is evident that metabolic signals are closely related to chronic stress-induced depression. Here, we investigated that a neural circuit is involved in melanocortin signaling contributing to susceptibility to stress. METHODS Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) was used to develop depressive-like behavior. Electrophysiologic and chemogenetic approaches were performed to evaluate the role of paraventricular thalamus (PVT) glutamatergic to nucleus accumbens shell (NAcsh) circuit in stress susceptibility. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations were applied to investigate the molecular mechanisms of melanocortin signaling in the circuit. RESULTS CSDS increases the excitatory neurotransmission in NAcsh through MC4R signaling. The enhanced excitatory synaptic input in NAcsh is projected from PVT glutamatergic neurons. Moreover, chemogenetic manipulation of PVTGlu -NAcsh projection mediates the susceptibility to stress, which is dependent on MC4R signaling. Overall, these results reveal that the strengthened excitatory neurotransmission in NAcsh originates from PVT glutamatergic neurons, facilitating the susceptibility to stress through melanocortin signaling. CONCLUSIONS Our results make a strong case for harnessing a thalamic circuit to reorganize excitatory synaptic transmission in relieving stress susceptibility and provide insights gained on metabolic underpinnings of protection against stress-induced depressive-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Deng
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina
| | - Shao‐Qi Zhang
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina
| | - Ping‐Fen Yang
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina
| | - Wan‐Ting Dong
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina
| | - Jia‐Lin Wang
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina
| | - Jian‐Guo Chen
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina,The Research Center for DepressionTongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina,The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei ProvinceWuhanChina,Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST)Ministry of Education of ChinaWuhan CityHubeiChina,Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric DiseasesThe Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina,The Research Center for DepressionTongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina,The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei ProvinceWuhanChina,Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST)Ministry of Education of ChinaWuhan CityHubeiChina,Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric DiseasesThe Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Li‐Hong Long
- Department of PharmacologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan CityHubeiChina,The Research Center for DepressionTongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina,The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei ProvinceWuhanChina
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7
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Melanocortin-4 receptor signaling in the central amygdala mediates chronic inflammatory pain effects on nociception. Neuropharmacology 2022; 210:109032. [PMID: 35304172 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Chronic inflammatory pain represents one of the largest subsets of chronic pain diagnoses, which affect nearly a quarter of individuals in the United States and cost nearly $600 billion dollars annually. Chronic pain leads to persistent sensory hypersensitivities, as well as emotional and cognitive disturbances. Evidence suggests that melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4Rs) mediate pain-signaling and pain-like behaviors via actions at various nodes in the pain-neural axis, but the field lacks a complete understanding of the potential role of MC4Rs in chronic inflammatory pain in males and females. The central amygdala (CeA) expresses high quantities of MC4R and receives pain-related information from the periphery, and in vivo CeA manipulations alter nociceptive behavior in pain-naïve and in animals with chronic pain. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MC4Rs in the CeA modulate thermal nociception and mechanical sensitivity, as well as pain avoidance, in male and female Wistar rats, using a model of chronic inflammatory pain (Complete Freud's Adjuvant; CFA). First, we report that CFA produces long-lasting hyperalgesia in adult male and female Wistar rats, and long-lasting pain avoidance in male Wistar rats. Second, we report that MC4R antagonism in the CeA reduces thermal nociception and mechanical sensitivity in male and female Wistar rats treated with CFA. Finally, we report that MC4R antagonism in the CeA reduces pain avoidance in male, and that this effect is not due to drug effects on locomotor activity. Our results indicate that a model of chronic inflammatory pain produces long-lasting increases in pain-like behaviors in adult male and female Wistar rats, and that antagonism of MC4Rs in the CeA reverses those effects.
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Gilpin NW, Yu W, Kash TL. Forebrain-Midbrain Circuits and Peptides Involved in Hyperalgesia After Chronic Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Res 2021; 41:13. [PMID: 34729286 PMCID: PMC8549866 DOI: 10.35946/arcr.v41.1.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
People living with pain report drinking alcohol to relieve pain. Acute alcohol use reduces pain, and chronic alcohol use facilitates the emergence or exaggeration of pain. Recently, funding agencies and neuroscientists involved in basic research have turned their attention to understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie pain-alcohol interactions, with a focus on circuit and molecular mediators of alcohol-induced changes in pain-related behavior. This review briefly discusses some examples of work being done in this area, with a focus on reciprocal projections between the midbrain and extended amygdala, as well as some neurochemical mediators of pain-related phenotypes after alcohol exposure. Finally, as more work accumulates on this topic, the authors highlight the need for the neuroscience field to carefully consider sex and age in the design and analysis of pain-alcohol interaction experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.,Department of Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.,Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Science Research and Development Intramural Program, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Waylin Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Department of Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Shikdar N, Alghamdi F. Influence of Selective Melanocortin-4 Receptor Antagonist HS014 on Hypersensitivity After Nervous System Injuries in a Model of Rat Neuropathic Pain: A Narrative Review of the Literature. Cureus 2021; 13:e17681. [PMID: 34584810 PMCID: PMC8457013 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective: The melanocortin-4 (MC4) receptor has been evaluated as a possible new therapeutic for neuropathic pain treatment. The purpose of this review article was to review and evaluate all recent in vivo studies on the effect of the MC4 receptor antagonist HS014 on rat hypersensitivity caused by neuropathic pain. Methods: An electronic search was carried out using Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The following inclusion criteria were used: rat models of neuropathic pain-induced hypersensitivity, with investigated effects of the selective antagonist HS014. The included duration of the search was within the last ten years. Data regarding HS014, neuropathic pain model, post-treatment administration time and dose (days post-injury), behavior assessment assays, treatment frequency, and route of delivery were collected and subjected descriptively as complementary data in this narrative review. Results: This narrative review included four papers that fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The findings demonstrate that as compared to vehicle-treated rats, administration of the MC4 receptor antagonist HS014 remarkably raised paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) in three studies and heat withdrawal latency in four studies among rat models subjected to neuropathic pain. Conclusions: In rat neuropathic pain models, the MC4 receptor antagonist HS014 is helpful in reducing hypersensitivity. However, further studies are needed to determine the ideal treatment dosage and timing. In addition, further investigations are required for the role of this selective receptor antagonist (HS014) and compared with other types of MC4 receptors in neuropathic pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narmeen Shikdar
- General Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU
| | - Faisal Alghamdi
- Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU
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10
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Lim K, Burke SL, Marques FZ, Jackson KL, Gueguen C, Sata Y, Armitage JA, Head GA. Leptin and Melanocortin Signaling Mediates Hypertension in Offspring From Female Rabbits Fed a High-Fat Diet During Gestation and Lactation. Front Physiol 2021; 12:693157. [PMID: 34248679 PMCID: PMC8264761 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.693157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal high-fat diet in rabbits leads to hypertension and elevated renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in adult offspring but whether this is due to adiposity or maternal programming is unclear. We gave intracerebroventricular (ICV) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) administration of leptin-receptor antagonist, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (αMSH), melanocortin-receptor antagonist (SHU9119), or insulin-receptor (InsR) antagonist to conscious adult offspring from mothers fed a high-fat diet (mHFD), control diet (mCD), or mCD offspring fed HFD for 10d (mCD10d, to deposit equivalent fat but not during development). mHFD and mCD10d rabbits had higher mean arterial pressure (MAP, +6.4 mmHg, +12.1 mmHg, p < 0.001) and RSNA (+2.3 nu, +3.2 nu, p < 0.01) than mCD, but all had similar plasma leptin. VMH leptin-receptor antagonist reduced MAP (−8.0 ± 3.0 mmHg, p < 0.001) in mCD10d but not in mHFD or mCD group. Intracerebroventricular leptin-receptor antagonist reduced MAP only in mHFD rabbits (p < 0.05). Intracerebroventricular SHU9119 reduced MAP and RSNA in mHFD but only reduced MAP in the mCD10d group. VMH αMSH increased RSNA (+85%, p < 0.001) in mHFD rabbits but ICV αMSH increased RSNA in both mHFD and mCD10d rabbits (+45%, +51%, respectively, p < 0.001). The InsR antagonist had no effect by either route on MAP or RSNA. Hypothalamic leptin receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA were greater in mHFD compared with mCD rabbits and mCD10d rabbits. In conclusion, the higher MAP in mHFD and mCD10d offspring was likely due to greater central leptin signaling at distinct sites within the hypothalamus while enhanced melanocortin contribution was common to both groups suggesting that residual body fat was mainly responsible. However, the effects of SHU9119 and αMSH on RSNA pathways only in mHFD suggest a maternal HFD may program sympatho-excitatory capacity in these offspring and that this may involve increased leptin receptor and BDNF expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyungjoon Lim
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Sandra L Burke
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Francine Z Marques
- Heart Failure Research Group, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Hypertension Research Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Kristy L Jackson
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Cindy Gueguen
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Yusuke Sata
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Human Neurotransmitters Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Cardiology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - James A Armitage
- School of Medicine (Optometry), and IMPACT Institute for Innovation in Physical and Mental Health and Clinical Translation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Geoffrey A Head
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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11
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Ishaq M, Tran D, Wu Y, Nowak K, Deans BJ, Xin JTZ, Loh HL, Ng WY, Yee CW, Southam B, Vicenzi S, Randall C, Yang C, Tan E, Pasupuleti M, Grewal AK, Ahmad T, Shastri M, Vicario C, Ronci M, Zuccarini M, Bleasel M, Scowen P, Raffaeli W, D’Andrea G, Chellappan DK, Jacobson G, Bissember AC, Smith JA, Eri R, Canales J, Iglesias M, Guven N, Caruso V. Asperuloside Enhances Taste Perception and Prevents Weight Gain in High-Fat Fed Mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:615446. [PMID: 33927690 PMCID: PMC8076851 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.615446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Asperuloside is an iridoid glycoside found in many medicinal plants that has produced promising anti-obesity results in animal models. In previous studies, three months of asperuloside administration reduced food intake, body weight, and adipose masses in rats consuming a high fat diet (HFD). However, the mechanisms by which asperuloside exerts its anti-obesity properties were not clarified. Here, we investigated homeostatic and nutrient-sensing mechanisms regulating food intake in mice consuming HFD. We confirmed the anti-obesity properties of asperuloside and, importantly, we identified some mechanisms that could be responsible for its therapeutic effect. Asperuloside reduced body weight and food intake in mice consuming HFD by 10.5 and 12.8% respectively, with no effect on mice eating a standard chow diet. Fasting glucose and plasma insulin were also significantly reduced. Mechanistically, asperuloside significantly reduced hypothalamic mRNA ghrelin, leptin, and pro-opiomelanocortin in mice consuming HFD. The expression of fat lingual receptors (CD36, FFAR1-4), CB1R and sweet lingual receptors (TAS1R2-3) was increased almost 2-fold by the administration of asperuloside. Our findings suggest that asperuloside might exert its therapeutic effects by altering nutrient-sensing receptors in the oral cavity as well as hypothalamic receptors involved in food intake when mice are exposed to obesogenic diets. This signaling pathway is known to influence the subtle hypothalamic equilibrium between energy homeostasis and reward-induced overeating responses. The present pre-clinical study demonstrated that targeting the gustatory system through asperuloside administration could represent a promising and effective new anti-obesity strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ishaq
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Duyen Tran
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Yijia Wu
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Krzysztof Nowak
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Bianca J. Deans
- School of Natural Sciences-Chemistry, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | | | - Hui Lin Loh
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wen Ying Ng
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chin Wen Yee
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Benjamin Southam
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Newnham, TAS, Australia
| | - Silvia Vicenzi
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Cameron Randall
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Cheng Yang
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Ee Tan
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | | | - Avneet Kaur Grewal
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Tauseef Ahmad
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Newnham, TAS, Australia
| | - Madhur Shastri
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Newnham, TAS, Australia
| | - Carmelo Vicario
- Department of Psychology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Maurizio Ronci
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Martin Bleasel
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Paul Scowen
- Animal Services department/Research Division, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - William Raffaeli
- Institute for Research on Pain, Istituto di Formazione e Ricerca in Scienze Algologiche (ISAL) Foundation, Rimini, Italy
| | - Gianvicenzo D’Andrea
- Institute for Research on Pain, Istituto di Formazione e Ricerca in Scienze Algologiche (ISAL) Foundation, Rimini, Italy
| | | | - Glenn Jacobson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Alex C. Bissember
- School of Natural Sciences-Chemistry, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Jason A. Smith
- School of Natural Sciences-Chemistry, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Raj Eri
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Newnham, TAS, Australia
| | - Juan Canales
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Miguel Iglesias
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Nuri Guven
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Vanni Caruso
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- Institute for Research on Pain, Istituto di Formazione e Ricerca in Scienze Algologiche (ISAL) Foundation, Rimini, Italy
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12
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Korczeniewska OA, Kohli D, Katzmann Rider G, Zaror C, Iturriaga V, Benoliel R. Effects of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) antagonist on neuropathic pain hypersensitivity in rats - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Oral Sci 2021; 129:e12786. [PMID: 33786877 DOI: 10.1111/eos.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) has been investigated as a potential drug target for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The objective of the study was to systematically identify the effects of MC4R antagonists on hypersensitivity in rat models of neuropathic pain. A systematic search was conducted using the following databases: WoS, PubMed, SCOPUS, and MEDLINE. Inclusion criteria were: rat hypersensitivity induced by models of neuropathic pain with reported effects of MC4R antagonist. Two researchers performed the selection process and data extraction. SYRCLE risk of bias tool was used. Standard mean differences (SMD) were calculated and pooled by meta-analysis using random effect models. Ten articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The results reveal that, in animals exposed to neuropathic pain, administration of MC4R antagonists significantly increased paw withdrawal threshold (SHU9119 SMD = 1.67, 95% CI: [0.91, 2.44], I2 = 0%; HS014 SMD = 2.2, 95% CI: [0.53, 3.87], I2 = 71%) and heat withdrawal latency (HS014 SMD = 3.35, 95% CI: [0.56, 6.14], I2 = 83%) compared to vehicle-treated animals. MC4R antagonists are effective in the alleviation of hypersensitivity in rodent neuropathic pain models. SHU9119 and HS014 antagonists showed the most prominent results. However, further investigation is needed to determine the optimal dose and time of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga A Korczeniewska
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Divya Kohli
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Giannina Katzmann Rider
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Carlos Zaror
- Center for Research in Epidemiology, Economics and Oral Public Health (CIEESPO), Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.,Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad San Sebastian, Puerto Montt, Chile
| | - Veronica Iturriaga
- Department of Integral Adult Care Dentistry, Temporomandibular Disorder and Orofacial Pain Program, Sleep & Pain Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Rafael Benoliel
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA
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13
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Melanocortin receptor activation alleviates amyloid pathology and glial reactivity in an Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4359. [PMID: 33623128 PMCID: PMC7902646 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder with no disease-modifying treatment. AD progression is characterized by cognitive decline, neuroinflammation, and accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, leading to neuronal and glial dysfunctions. Neuropeptides govern diverse pathophysiological processes and represent key players in AD pathogenesis, regulating synaptic plasticity, glial cell functions and amyloid pathology. Activation of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived neuropeptide and its receptor from the melanocortin receptor (MCR) family have previously been shown to rescue the impairment in hippocampus-dependent synaptic plasticity in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD. However, the functional roles of MCR signaling in AD conditions, particularly in glial functions, are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the potential benefits of MCR activation in AD. In APP/PS1 transgenic mice, we demonstrate that MCR activation mediated by the central administration of its agonist D-Tyr MTII substantially reduces Aβ accumulation, while alleviating global inflammation and astrocytic activation, particularly in the hippocampus. MCR activation prominently reduces the A1 subtype of reactive astrocytes, which is considered a key source of astrocytic neurotoxicity in AD. Concordantly, MCR activation suppresses microglial activation, while enhancing their association with amyloid plaques. The blunted activation of microglia may contribute to the reduction in the neurotoxic phenotypes of astrocytes. Importantly, transcriptome analysis reveals that MCR activation restores the impaired homeostatic processes and microglial reactivity in the hippocampus in APP/PS1 mice. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the potential of MCR signaling as therapeutic target for AD.
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14
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Sharfman N, Gilpin NW. The Role of Melanocortin Plasticity in Pain-Related Outcomes After Alcohol Exposure. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:764720. [PMID: 34803772 PMCID: PMC8599269 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.764720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the rates and dangers of alcohol misuse in adults and adolescents in the US and globally. Alcohol exposure during adolescence causes persistent molecular, cellular, and behavioral changes that increase the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) into adulthood. It is established that alcohol abuse in adulthood increases the likelihood of pain hypersensitivity and the genesis of chronic pain, and humans report drinking alcohol to relieve pain symptoms. However, the longitudinal effects of alcohol exposure on pain and the underlying CNS signaling that mediates it are understudied. Specific brain regions mediate pain effects, alcohol effects, and pain-alcohol interactions, and neural signaling in those brain regions is modulated by neuropeptides. The CNS melanocortin system is sensitive to alcohol and modulates pain sensitivity, but this system is understudied in the context of pain-alcohol interactions. In this review, we focus on the role of melanocortin signaling in brain regions sensitive to alcohol and pain, in particular the amygdala. We also discuss interactions of melanocortins with other peptide systems, including the opioid system, as potential mediators of pain-alcohol interactions. Therapeutic strategies that target the melanocortin system may mitigate the negative consequences of alcohol misuse during adolescence and/or adulthood, including effects on pain-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Sharfman
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System (SLVHCS), New Orleans, LA, United States
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15
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Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1 activation is involved in melanocortin-induced BDNF expression in Neuro2a neuronal cells. Neuroreport 2020; 31:1007-1014. [PMID: 32815825 PMCID: PMC7467152 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Melanocortins are neuropeptides exerting versatile functions in the nervous system. Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is primarily expressed in the brain and is thought to be a major mediator for melanocortin. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be a crucial downstream molecule of MC4R activation, to yield neurite outgrowth, neuroregenerative, anorexigenic and other actions. In this study, we stimulated Neuro2a murine neuronal cells with an α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) analog, [Nle(4), D-Phe(7)]melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP-MSH). In Neuro2a cells, NDP-MSH promoted neurite outgrowth. Upon NDP-MSH administration, BDNF expression was greatly enhanced. Furthermore, this effect was effectively reversed by the MC4R antagonist, JKC-363. We found that NDP-MSH treatment activated the ERK cascade and its downstream kinase MSK1 (mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1). Antagonism of the MSK1 cascade by a specific inhibitor or overexpression of a defective MSK1 mutant interrupted the phosphorylation of the transcription factor cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), blocking BDNF upregulation. In addition, MSK1 activation triggered an epigenetic alteration in histone H3 (Ser10), facilitating the expression of the BDNF gene. Taken together, our results showed that MSK1 kinase positively activates MC4R-induced BDNF expression via modulating the phosphorylation of CREB and histone H3 in Neuro2a neuronal cells.
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16
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Löw K, Roulin A, Kunz S. A proopiomelanocortin-derived peptide sequence enhances plasma stability of peptide drugs. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:2840-2866. [PMID: 32506501 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Bioactive peptide drugs hold promise for therapeutic application due to their high potency and selectivity but display short plasma half-life. Examination of selected naturally occurring peptide hormones derived from proteolytic cleavage of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) precursor lead to the identification of significant plasma-stabilizing properties of a 12-amino acid serine-rich orphan sequence NSSSSGSSGAGQ in human γ3-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) that is homologous to previously discovered NSn GGH (n = 4-24) sequences in owls. Notably, transfer of this sequence to des-acetyl-α-MSH and the therapeutically relevant peptide hormones neurotensin and glucagon-like peptide-1 likewise enhance their plasma stability without affecting receptor signaling. The stabilizing effect of the sequence module is independent of plasma components, suggesting a direct effect in cis. This natural sequence module may provide a possible strategy to enhance plasma stability, complementing existing methods of chemical modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Löw
- Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kunz
- Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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17
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Molecular evolution of the proopiomelanocortin system in Barn owl species. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231163. [PMID: 32369484 PMCID: PMC7199972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Examination of genetic polymorphisms in outbred wild-living species provides insights into the evolution of complex systems. In higher vertebrates, the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) precursor gives rise to α-, β-, and γ-melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSH), which are involved in numerous physiological aspects. Genetic defects in POMC are linked to metabolic disorders in humans and animals. In the present study, we undertook an evolutionary genetic approach complemented with biochemistry to investigate the functional consequences of genetic polymorphisms in the POMC system of free-living outbred barn owl species (family Tytonidae) at the molecular level. Our phylogenetic studies revealed a striking correlation between a loss-of-function H9P mutation in the β-MSH receptor-binding motif and an extension of a poly-serine stretch in γ3-MSH to ≥7 residues that arose in the barn owl group 6–8 MYA ago. We found that extension of the poly-serine stretches in the γ-MSH locus affects POMC precursor processing, increasing γ3-MSH production at the expense of γ2-MSH and resulting in an overall reduction of γ-MSH signaling, which may be part of a negative feedback mechanism. Extension of the γ3-MSH poly-serine stretches ≥7 further markedly increases peptide hormone stability in plasma, which is conserved in humans, and is likely relevant to its endocrine function. In sum, our phylogenetic analysis of POMC in wild living owls uncovered a H9P β-MSH mutation subsequent to serine extension in γ3-MSH to 7 residues, which was then followed by further serine extension. The linked MSH mutations highlight the genetic plasticity enabled by the modular design of the POMC gene.
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18
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Edwards S, Vendruscolo LF, Gilpin NW, Wojnar M, Witkiewitz K. Alcohol and Pain: A Translational Review of Preclinical and Clinical Findings to Inform Future Treatment Strategies. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:368-383. [PMID: 31840821 PMCID: PMC11004915 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and chronic pain are enduring and devastating conditions that share an intersecting epidemiology and neurobiology. Chronic alcohol use itself can produce a characteristic painful neuropathy, while the regular analgesic use of alcohol in the context of nociceptive sensitization and heightened affective pain sensitivity may promote negative reinforcement mechanisms that underlie AUD maintenance and progression. The goal of this review was to provide a broad translational framework that communicates research findings spanning preclinical and clinical studies, including a review of genetic, molecular, behavioral, and social mechanisms that facilitate interactions between persistent pain and alcohol use. We also consider recent evidence that will shape future investigations into novel treatment mechanisms for pain in individuals suffering from AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology and Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Leandro F. Vendruscolo
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Intramural Research Program (IRP), Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Nicholas W. Gilpin
- Department of Physiology and Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Marcin Wojnar
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131
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19
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Flores-Bastías O, Adriasola-Carrasco A, Karahanian E. Activation of Melanocortin-4 Receptor Inhibits Both Neuroinflammation Induced by Early Exposure to Ethanol and Subsequent Voluntary Alcohol Intake in Adulthood in Animal Models: Is BDNF the Key Mediator? Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:5. [PMID: 32063838 PMCID: PMC6997842 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept that neuroinflammation induced by excessive alcohol intake in adolescence triggers brain mechanisms that perpetuate consumption has strengthened in recent years. The melanocortin system, composed of the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) and its ligand α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), has been implicated both in modulation of alcohol consumption and in ethanol-induced neuroinflammation decrease. Chronic alcohol consumption in adolescent rats causes a decrease in an α-MSH release by the hypothalamus, while the administration of synthetic agonists of MC4R causes a decrease in neuroinflammation and a decrease in voluntary alcohol consumption. However, the mechanism that connects the activation of MC4R with the decrease of both neuroinflammation and voluntary alcohol consumption has not been elucidated. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in alcohol drinking motivation, dependence and withdrawal, and its levels are reduced in alcoholics. Deficiencies in BDNF levels increased ethanol self-administration in rats. Further, BDNF triggers important anti-inflammatory effects in the brain, and this could be one of the mechanisms by which BDNF reduces chronic alcohol intake. Interestingly, MC4R signaling induces BDNF expression through the activation of the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB). We hypothesize that ethanol exposure during adolescence decreases the expression of α-MSH and hence MC4R signaling in the hippocampus, leading to a lower BDNF activity that causes dramatic changes in the brain (e.g., neuroinflammation and decreased neurogenesis) that predispose to maintain alcohol abuse until adulthood. The activation of MC4R either by α-MSH or by synthetic agonist peptides can induce the expression of BDNF, which would trigger several processes that lead to lower alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvaldo Flores-Bastías
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alfredo Adriasola-Carrasco
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Karahanian
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Research Center for the Study of Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Adolescents, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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20
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Fredriksson R, Sreedharan S, Nordenankar K, Alsiö J, Lindberg FA, Hutchinson A, Eriksson A, Roshanbin S, Ciuculete DM, Klockars A, Todkar A, Hägglund MG, Hellsten SV, Hindlycke V, Västermark Å, Shevchenko G, Olivo G, K C, Kullander K, Moazzami A, Bergquist J, Olszewski PK, Schiöth HB. The polyamine transporter Slc18b1(VPAT) is important for both short and long time memory and for regulation of polyamine content in the brain. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008455. [PMID: 31800589 PMCID: PMC6927659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
SLC18B1 is a sister gene to the vesicular monoamine and acetylcholine transporters, and the only known polyamine transporter, with unknown physiological role. We reveal that Slc18b1 knock out mice has significantly reduced polyamine content in the brain providing the first evidence that Slc18b1 is functionally required for regulating polyamine levels. We found that this mouse has impaired short and long term memory in novel object recognition, radial arm maze and self-administration paradigms. We also show that Slc18b1 KO mice have altered expression of genes involved in Long Term Potentiation, plasticity, calcium signalling and synaptic functions and that expression of components of GABA and glutamate signalling are changed. We further observe a partial resistance to diazepam, manifested as significantly lowered reduction in locomotion after diazepam treatment. We suggest that removal of Slc18b1 leads to reduction of polyamine contents in neurons, resulting in reduced GABA signalling due to long-term reduction in glutamatergic signalling. A fundamental function of the nervous system is its ability to modulate and change the connections between nerve cells, and this forms the basis for memory and learning. This is most well studied for synapses that are using the neurotransmitter glutamate, and a central part of this is referred to Long Term Potentiation. This process is dependent on a specific glutamate receptor called the NMDA receptor, and the function of this receptor can be controlled by various mechanisms. Here, we show that polyamines can regulate this receptor and that lack of polyamines result in impaired learning and memory. Polyamines are small peptides made by many different cells in the body, including cells in the brain, and by removing a gene coding for a transporter important for the release of polyamines in nerve cells of mice, we show that polyamines are important for proper function of the glutamate system. We also show the deletion of this gene result in fundamentally rearranged GABA and glutamate systems, resulting in the mice having a much higher tolerance for the sedative drug benzodiazepines. Polyamines and targets for these molecules could be important points of intervention for future drugs aiming at modulating the glutamatergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Fredriksson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Smitha Sreedharan
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Nordenankar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Alsiö
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Frida A. Lindberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ashley Hutchinson
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Eriksson
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sahar Roshanbin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Diana M. Ciuculete
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anica Klockars
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Aniruddha Todkar
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria G. Hägglund
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sofie V. Hellsten
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Viktoria Hindlycke
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åke Västermark
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Gaia Olivo
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cheng K
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Klas Kullander
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ali Moazzami
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bergquist
- Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pawel K. Olszewski
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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21
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Herrera G, Calfa G, Schiöth HB, Lasaga M, Scimonelli T. Memory consolidation impairment induced by Interleukin-1β is associated with changes in hippocampal structural plasticity. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111969. [PMID: 31128164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), can affect cognitive processes such as learning and memory. The aim of this study was to establish whether the effect of IL-1β on contextual fear memory is associated with changes in hippocampal structural plasticity. We also studied the effect of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), a potent anti-inflammatory and neuro-protective peptide. Different groups of animals were implanted bilaterally in dorsal hippocampus (DH). After recovery they were conditioned for contextual fear memory and received the different treatments (vehicle, IL-1β, α-MSH or IL-1β + α-MSH). Memory was assessed 24 hs after conditioning and immediately after rats were perfused for dendritic spine analysis. Our results show that local hippocampal administration of IL-1β just after memory encoding induced impairment in contextual memory and a reduction in the total density of CA1 hippocampal dendritic spines, particularly the mature ones. α-MSH administration reversed the IL-1β induced changes. The results suggest that neuro-inflammation induced by IL-1β interferes with experience-dependent structural plasticity in DH whereas α-MSH has a beneficial modulatory role in preventing this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Herrera
- IFEC-CONICET, Depto. Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Gastón Calfa
- IFEC-CONICET, Depto. Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mercedes Lasaga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Teresa Scimonelli
- IFEC-CONICET, Depto. Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
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22
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Human nonvisual opsin 3 regulates pigmentation of epidermal melanocytes through functional interaction with melanocortin 1 receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:11508-11517. [PMID: 31097585 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902825116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Opsins form a family of light-activated, retinal-dependent, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that serve a multitude of visual and nonvisual functions. Opsin 3 (OPN3 or encephalopsin), initially identified in the brain, remains one of the few members of the mammalian opsin family with unknown function and ambiguous light absorption properties. We recently discovered that OPN3 is highly expressed in human epidermal melanocytes (HEMs)-the skin cells that produce melanin. The melanin pigment is a critical defense against ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and its production is mediated by the Gαs-coupled melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R). The physiological function and light sensitivity of OPN3 in melanocytes are yet to be determined. Here, we show that in HEMs, OPN3 acts as a negative regulator of melanin production by modulating the signaling of MC1R. OPN3 negatively regulates the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response evoked by MC1R via activation of the Gαi subunit of G proteins, thus decreasing cellular melanin levels. In addition to their functional relationship, OPN3 and MC1R colocalize at both the plasma membrane and in intracellular structures, and can form a physical complex. Remarkably, OPN3 can bind retinal, but does not mediate light-induced signaling in melanocytes. Our results identify a function for OPN3 in the regulation of the melanogenic pathway in epidermal melanocytes; we have revealed a light-independent function for the poorly characterized OPN3 and a pathway that greatly expands our understanding of melanocyte and skin physiology.
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Bazhenova EY, Fursenko DV, Khotskin NV, Sorokin IE, Kulikov AV. Effect of lethal yellow (AY) mutation and photoperiod alterations on mouse behavior. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2019. [DOI: 10.18699/vj19.461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Decrease in natural illumination in fall/winter months causes depressive-like seasonal affective disorders in vulnerable individuals. Obesity is another risk factor of depression. The lethal yellow (AY) mutation causes ectopic expression of agouti protein in the brain. Mice heterozygous for AY mutation (AY/a) are obese compared to their wild-type littermates (a/a). The main aims of the study were to investigate the effects of AY mutation, photoperiod and the interaction between these factors on daily activity dynamics, feeding, locomotor and exploratory activities, anxiety-related and depressive-like behaviors in mild stress condition. Six weeks old mouse males of AY/a and a/a lines were divided into four groups eight animals each and exposed to long- (14 h light and 10 h darkness) or short- (4 h light and 20 h darkness) day conditions for 28 days. Then the behavior of these mice was successively investigated in the home cage, open field, elevated plus-maze and forced swim tests. We did not observed any effect of AY mutation on the general activity, water and food consumption in the home cage; locomotion and exploration in the open field test; anxiety-related behavior in the open field and elevated plus-maze tests. At the same time, AY mutation increased depressive-like immobility time in the forced swim test (F1.28 = 20.03, p = 0.00012). Shortday conditions decreased nocturnal activity in the home cage, as well as locomotion (F1.28 = 16.33, p = 0.0004) and exploration (F1.28 = 16.24, p < 0.0004) in the open field test. Moreover, short-day exposition decreased time spent in the center of the open field (F1.28 = 6.57, p = 0.016) and in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze (F1.28 = 12.08, p = 0.0017) tests and increased immobility time in the forced swim test (F1.28 = 9.95, p = 0.0038). However, no effect of the interaction between AY mutation and photoperiod on immobility time in the forced swim test was observed. Therefore, short-day photoperiod and AY mutation increased depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test by means of different mechanisms.
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Lee HB, Schwab TL, Sigafoos AN, Gauerke JL, Krug RG, Serres MR, Jacobs DC, Cotter RP, Das B, Petersen MO, Daby CL, Urban RM, Berry BC, Clark KJ. Novel zebrafish behavioral assay to identify modifiers of the rapid, nongenomic stress response. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 18:e12549. [PMID: 30588759 PMCID: PMC6446827 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
When vertebrates face acute stressors, their bodies rapidly undergo a repertoire of physiological and behavioral adaptations, which is termed the stress response. Rapid changes in heart rate and blood glucose levels occur via the interaction of glucocorticoids and their cognate receptors following hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. These physiological changes are observed within minutes of encountering a stressor and the rapid time domain rules out genomic responses that require gene expression changes. Although behavioral changes corresponding to physiological changes are commonly observed, it is not clearly understood to what extent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation dictates adaptive behavior. We hypothesized that rapid locomotor response to acute stressors in zebrafish requires hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis activation. In teleost fish, interrenal cells are functionally homologous to the adrenocortical layer. We derived eight frameshift mutants in genes involved in HPI axis function: two mutants in exon 2 of mc2r (adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor), five in exon 2 or 5 of nr3c1 (glucocorticoid receptor [GR]) and two in exon 2 of nr3c2 (mineralocorticoid receptor [MR]). Exposing larval zebrafish to mild environmental stressors, acute changes in salinity or light illumination, results in a rapid locomotor response. We show that this locomotor response requires a functioning HPI axis via the action of mc2r and the canonical GR encoded by nr3c1 gene, but not MR (nr3c2). Our rapid behavioral assay paradigm based on HPI axis biology can be used to screen for genetic and environmental modifiers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and to investigate the effects of corticosteroids and their cognate receptor interactions on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han B. Lee
- Neuroscience Graduate ProgramMayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesRochesterMinnesota
| | - Tanya L. Schwab
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Ashley N. Sigafoos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Jennifer L. Gauerke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Randall G. Krug
- Neuroscience Graduate ProgramMayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesRochesterMinnesota
| | - MaKayla R. Serres
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Dakota C. Jacobs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Ryan P. Cotter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Biswadeep Das
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Morgan O. Petersen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Camden L. Daby
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Rhianna M. Urban
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Bethany C. Berry
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
| | - Karl J. Clark
- Neuroscience Graduate ProgramMayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesRochesterMinnesota
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesota
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Minakova E, Lang J, Medel-Matus JS, Gould GG, Reynolds A, Shin D, Mazarati A, Sankar R. Melanotan-II reverses autistic features in a maternal immune activation mouse model of autism. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210389. [PMID: 30629642 PMCID: PMC6328175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions, difficulty with communication, and repetitive behavior patterns. In humans affected by ASD, there is a male pre-disposition towards the condition with a male to female ratio of 4:1. In part due to the complex etiology of ASD including genetic and environmental interplay, there are currently no available medical therapies to improve the social deficits of ASD. Studies in rodent models and humans have shown promising therapeutic effects of oxytocin in modulating social adaptation. One pharmacological approach to stimulating oxytocinergic activity is the melanocortin receptor 4 agonist Melanotan-II (MT-II). Notably the effects of oxytocin on environmental rodent autism models has not been investigated to date. We used a maternal immune activation (MIA) mouse model of autism to assess the therapeutic potential of MT-II on autism-like features in adult male mice. The male MIA mice exhibited autism-like features including impaired social behavioral metrics, diminished vocal communication, and increased repetitive behaviors. Continuous administration of MT-II to male MIA mice over a seven-day course resulted in rescue of social behavioral metrics. Normal background C57 male mice treated with MT-II showed no significant alteration in social behavioral metrics. Additionally, there was no change in anxiety-like or repetitive behaviors following MT-II treatment of normal C57 mice, though there was significant weight loss following subacute treatment. These data demonstrate MT-II as an effective agent for improving autism-like behavioral deficits in the adult male MIA mouse model of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Minakova
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jordan Lang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Jesus-Servando Medel-Matus
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Georgianna G. Gould
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ashley Reynolds
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Don Shin
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Andrey Mazarati
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Raman Sankar
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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26
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Blough B, Namjoshi O. Small Molecule Neuropeptide S and Melanocortin 4 Receptor Ligands as Potential Treatments for Substance Use Disorders. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2019; 258:61-87. [PMID: 31628605 DOI: 10.1007/164_2019_313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There is a vital need for novel approaches and biological targets for drug discovery and development. Treatment strategies for substance use disorders (SUDs) to date have been mostly ineffective other than substitution-like therapeutics. Two such targets are the peptide G-protein-coupled receptors neuropeptide S (NPS) and melanocortin 4 (MC4). Preclinical evidence suggests that antagonists, inverse agonists, or negative allosteric modulators of these receptors might be novel therapeutics for SUDs. NPS is a relatively unexplored receptor with high potential for treating SUD. MC4 has a strong link to early-onset obesity, and emerging evidence suggests significant overlap between food-maintained and drug-maintained behaviors making MC4 an intriguing target for SUD. This chapter provides an overview of the literature in relation to the roles of NPS and MC4 in drug-seeking behaviors and then provides a medicinal chemistry-based survey of the small molecule ligands for each receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Blough
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Ojas Namjoshi
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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27
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Saba J, Carniglia L, Ramírez D, Turati J, Imsen M, Durand D, Lasaga M, Caruso C. Melanocortin 4 receptor activation protects striatal neurons and glial cells from 3-nitropropionic acid toxicity. Mol Cell Neurosci 2018; 94:41-51. [PMID: 30529228 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a melanocortin which exerts potent anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. Melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) are abundantly expressed in the brain and we previously demonstrated that [Nle(4), D-Phe(7)]melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP-MSH), an α-MSH analogue, increased expression of brain derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). We hypothesized that melanocortins could affect striatal cell survival through BDNF and PPAR-γ. First, we determined the expression of these factors in the striatum. Acute intraperitoneal administration (0.5 mg/kg) of α-MSH increased the levels of BDNF mRNA in rat striatum but not in rat cerebral cortex. Also, protein expression of PPAR-γ and MC4R was increased by acute treatment with α-MSH in striatum but not in cortex. No changes were observed by 48 h treatment. Next, we evaluated melanocortins effect on neuron and glial survival. 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), which is known to induce striatal degeneration, was used to induce cell death in the rat striatal cell line ST14A expressing mutant human huntingtin (Q120) or in ST14A cells expressing normal human huntingtin (Q15), in primary cultured astrocytes, and in BV2 cells. NDP-MSH protected Q15 cells, astrocytes and BV2 cells from death by 3-NP whereas it did not fully protect Q120 cells. Protection of Q15 cells and astrocytes was blocked by a MC4R specific inhibitor (JKC-363) and a PPAR-γ antagonist (GW9662). The BDNF receptor antagonist (ANA-12) abolished NDP-MSH protective effect in astrocytes but not in Q15 cells. We demonstrate for the first time that melanocortins, acting through PPAR-γ and BDNF, protect neurons and glial cells from 3-NP toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Saba
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lila Carniglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Delia Ramírez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Turati
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Imsen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniela Durand
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Lasaga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carla Caruso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED) UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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28
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Zhang M, Chen Y, Xu H, Yang L, Yuan F, Li L, Xu Y, Chen Y, Zhang C, Lin G. Melanocortin Receptor 4 Signaling Regulates Vertebrate Limb Regeneration. Dev Cell 2018; 46:397-409.e5. [PMID: 30130530 PMCID: PMC6107305 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) plays a crucial role in the central control of energy homeostasis, but its role in peripheral organs has not been fully explored. We have investigated the roles of hypothalamus-mediated energy metabolism during Xenopus limb regeneration. We report that hypothalamus injury inhibits Xenopus tadpole limb regeneration. By loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies, we show that Mc4r signaling is required for limb regeneration in regeneration-competent tadpoles and stimulates limb regeneration in later-stage regeneration-defective tadpoles. It regulates limb regeneration through modulating energy homeostasis and ROS production. Even more interestingly, our results demonstrate that Mc4r signaling is regulated by innervation and α-MSH substitutes for the effect of nerves in limb regeneration. Mc4r signaling is also required for mouse digit regeneration. Thus, our findings link vertebrate limb regeneration with Mc4r-mediated energy homeostasis and provide a new avenue for understanding Mc4r signaling in the peripheral organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengshi Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Youwei Chen
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Hanqian Xu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China; Stem Cell Institute, Department of Genetics Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Li Yang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Feng Yuan
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Lei Li
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Genetics Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Chao Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China.
| | - Gufa Lin
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China; Stem Cell Institute, Department of Genetics Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Central Amygdala Circuits Mediate Hyperalgesia in Alcohol-Dependent Rats. J Neurosci 2018; 38:7761-7773. [PMID: 30054393 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0483-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms contribute to excessive alcohol drinking and relapse in alcohol-dependent individuals. Among these symptoms, alcohol withdrawal promotes hyperalgesia, but the neurological underpinnings of this phenomenon are not known. Chronic alcohol exposure alters cell signaling in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), and the CeA is implicated in mediating alcohol dependence-related behaviors. The CeA projects to the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a region critical for descending pain modulation, and may have a role in alcohol withdrawal hyperalgesia. Here, we tested the roles of (1) CeA projections to PAG, (2) CeA melanocortin signaling, and (3) PAG μ-opioid receptor signaling in mediating thermal nociception and alcohol withdrawal hyperalgesia in male Wistar rats. Our results demonstrate that alcohol dependence reduces GABAergic signaling from CeA terminals onto PAG neurons and alters the CeA melanocortin system, that CeA-PAG projections and CeA melanocortin signaling mediate alcohol withdrawal hyperalgesia, and that μ-opioid receptors in PAG filter CeA effects on thermal nociception.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hyperalgesia is commonly seen in individuals with alcohol use disorder during periods of withdrawal, but the neurological underpinnings behind this phenomenon are not completely understood. Here, we tested whether alcohol dependence exerts its influence on pain modulation via effects on the limbic system. Using behavioral, optogenetic, electrophysiological, and molecular biological approaches, we demonstrate that central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) projections to periaqueductal gray mediate thermal hyperalgesia in alcohol-dependent and alcohol-naive rats. Using pharmacological approaches, we show that melanocortin receptor-4 signaling in CeA alters alcohol withdrawal hyperalgesia, but this effect is not mediated directly at synaptic inputs onto periaqueductal gray-projecting CeA neurons. Overall, our findings support a role for limbic influence over the descending pain pathway and identify a potential therapeutic target for treating hyperalgesia in individuals with alcohol use disorder .
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Abstract
Hypothalamic integration of gastrointestinal and adipose tissue-derived hormones serves as a key element of neuroendocrine control of food intake. Leptin, adiponectin, oleoylethanolamide, cholecystokinin, and ghrelin, to name a few, are in a constant "cross talk" with the feeding-related brain circuits that encompass hypothalamic populations synthesizing anorexigens (melanocortins, CART, oxytocin) and orexigens (Agouti-related protein, neuropeptide Y, orexins). While this integrated neuroendocrine circuit successfully ensures that enough energy is acquired, it does not seem to be equally efficient in preventing excessive energy intake, especially in the obesogenic environment in which highly caloric and palatable food is constantly available. The current review presents an overview of intricate mechanisms underlying hypothalamic integration of energy balance-related peripheral endocrine input. We discuss vulnerabilities and maladaptive neuroregulatory processes, including changes in hypothalamic neuronal plasticity that propel overeating despite negative consequences.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The major health issue of being overweight or obese relates to the development of hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetic complications. One of the major underlying factors influencing the elevated blood pressure in obesity is increased activity of the sympathetic nerves to particular organs such as the kidney. RECENT FINDINGS There is now convincing evidence from animal studies that major signals such as leptin and insulin have a sympathoexcitatory action in the hypothalamus to cause hypertension. Recent studies suggest that this may involve 'neural plasticity' within hypothalamic signalling driven by central actions of leptin mediated via activation of melanocortin receptor signalling and activation of brain neurotrophic factors. This review describes the evidence to support the contribution of the SNS to obesity related hypertension and the major metabolic and adipokine signals.
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Melanocortin-4 receptor regulation of pain. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2017; 1863:2515-2522. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Melanocortins, Melanocortin Receptors and Multiple Sclerosis. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7080104. [PMID: 28805746 PMCID: PMC5575624 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7080104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The melanocortins and their receptors have been extensively investigated for their roles in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, but to a lesser extent in immune cells and in the nervous system outside the hypothalamic axis. This review discusses corticosteroid dependent and independent effects of melanocortins on the peripheral immune system, central nervous system (CNS) effects mediated through neuronal regulation of immune system function, and direct effects on endogenous cells in the CNS. We have focused on the expression and function of melanocortin receptors in oligodendroglia (OL), the myelin producing cells of the CNS, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic approaches to decrease CNS damage in multiple sclerosis as well as to promote repair. It is clear that melanocortin signaling through their receptors in the CNS has potential for neuroprotection and repair in diseases like MS. Effects of melanocortins on the immune system by direct effects on the circulating cells (lymphocytes and monocytes) and by signaling through CNS cells in regions lacking a mature blood brain barrier are clear. However, additional studies are needed to develop highly effective MCR targeted therapies that directly affect endogenous cells of the CNS, particularly OL, their progenitors and neurons.
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Huang Y, Pei Y, Guan H, Wei S, Wu H, Zhou Y, Pei J, Chen L, Wang Y, Chen Y, Han Q, Wang D, Wang D. Stability and Pharmacological Effects of Gene-Recombinant Wild Type and Mutant Human Adrenocorticotropic Hormone. Pharm Res 2017; 34:793-799. [PMID: 28127707 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-017-2107-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is the only medicine for treating infantile spasms, however, it is catabolized rapidly. In order to make an ACTH derivative with prolonged effects, we prepared genetically engineered wild type (WT) and mutant ACTH candidates based on protease database analysis, and compared their stability and pharmacological effects. METHODS For analysis of stability, serum concentration of WT and mutant ACTH candidates were tested at different time after intravenous injection, and elimination curves were calculated to compare pharmacokinetic properties of WT and E5D-mutant ACTH. For comparison of their pharmacological effects, levels of glucocorticoids (GC) in the blood serum and secreted from cultured Y1 mouse adrenal cells were tested, and their effects on the signaling pathway mediating the expression of genes critical for GC synthesis were analyzed. The effects of ACTHs on transcription levels of the genes involved in GC synthesis were tested by qPCR. RESULTS The blood concentration of E5D ACTH is higher than the WT after injection, and E5D mutation increased the t1/2 and AUC of ACTH. Pharmacological experiments showed that the effects of E5D and Y2S mutant ACTH on the production of GC and the critical signal transduction were equivalent to those of WT. WT, E5D and Y2S ACTH also have similar effects on the transcriptional levels of the genes for GC synthesis, including STAR, P450-scc, 3β-HSD, and SF-1. CONCLUSION The stability of E5D mutant ACTH is higher than WT ACTH. The pharmacological effects of E5D ACTH is equivalent to those of WT ACTH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonglin Huang
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Yechun Pei
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Huai Guan
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Shuangshuang Wei
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Jinli Pei
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Lintao Chen
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Yuerong Wang
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Yibo Chen
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Qian Han
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Daming Wang
- Qiqihar Teachers College, Heilongjiang, 161005, China.
| | - Dayong Wang
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Pharmacology, Hainan Province Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Hainan University, Hainan, 570208, China.
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Neuropeptides and Microglial Activation in Inflammation, Pain, and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mediators Inflamm 2017; 2017:5048616. [PMID: 28154473 PMCID: PMC5244030 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5048616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglial cells are responsible for immune surveillance within the CNS. They respond to noxious stimuli by releasing inflammatory mediators and mounting an effective inflammatory response. This is followed by release of anti-inflammatory mediators and resolution of the inflammatory response. Alterations to this delicate process may lead to tissue damage, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. Chronic pain, such as inflammatory or neuropathic pain, is accompanied by neuroimmune activation, and the role of glial cells in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain has been the subject of increasing research over the last two decades. Neuropeptides are small amino acidic molecules with the ability to regulate neuronal activity and thereby affect various functions such as thermoregulation, reproductive behavior, food and water intake, and circadian rhythms. Neuropeptides can also affect inflammatory responses and pain sensitivity by modulating the activity of glial cells. The last decade has witnessed growing interest in the study of microglial activation and its modulation by neuropeptides in the hope of developing new therapeutics for treating neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain. This review summarizes the current literature on the way in which several neuropeptides modulate microglial activity and response to tissue damage and how this modulation may affect pain sensitivity.
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Hill JW, Faulkner LD. The Role of the Melanocortin System in Metabolic Disease: New Developments and Advances. Neuroendocrinology 2017; 104:330-346. [PMID: 27728914 PMCID: PMC5724371 DOI: 10.1159/000450649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is increasing in prevalence across all sectors of society, and with it a constellation of associated ailments including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and eating disorders. The melanocortin system is a critical neural system underlying the control of body weight and other functions. Deficits in the melanocortin system may promote or exacerbate the comorbidities of obesity. This system has therefore generated great interest as a potential target for treatment of obesity. However, drugs targeting melanocortin receptors are plagued by problematic side effects, including undesirable increases in sympathetic nervous system activity, heart rate, and blood pressure. Circumnavigating this roadblock will require a clearer picture of the precise neural circuits that mediate the functions of melanocortins. Recent, novel experimental approaches have significantly advanced our understanding of these pathways. We here review the latest advances in our understanding of the role of melanocortins in food intake, reward pathways, blood pressure, glucose control, and energy expenditure. The evidence suggests that downstream melanocortin-responsive circuits responsible for different physiological actions do diverge. Ultimately, a more complete understanding of melanocortin pathways and their myriad roles should allow treatments tailored to the mix of metabolic disorders in the individual patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer W Hill
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
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Navarro M. The Role of the Melanocortin System in Drug and Alcohol Abuse. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 136:121-150. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Multiple beneficial effects of melanocortin MC 4 receptor agonists in experimental neurodegenerative disorders: Therapeutic perspectives. Prog Neurobiol 2016; 148:40-56. [PMID: 27916623 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Melanocortin peptides induce neuroprotection in acute and chronic experimental neurodegenerative conditions. Melanocortins likewise counteract systemic responses to brain injuries. Furthermore, they promote neurogenesis by activating critical signaling pathways. Melanocortin-induced long-lasting improvement in synaptic activity and neurological performance, including learning and memory, sensory-motor orientation and coordinated limb use, has been consistently observed in experimental models of acute and chronic neurodegeneration. Evidence indicates that the neuroprotective and neurogenic effects of melanocortins, as well as the protection against systemic responses to a brain injury, are mediated by brain melanocortin 4 (MC4) receptors, through an involvement of the vagus nerve. Here we discuss the targets and mechanisms underlying the multiple beneficial effects recently observed in animal models of neurodegeneration. We comment on the potential clinical usefulness of melanocortin MC4 receptor agonists as neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agents in ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and Alzheimer's disease.
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Central proopiomelanocortin but not neuropeptide Y mediates sympathoexcitation and hypertension in fat fed conscious rabbits. J Hypertens 2016; 34:464-73; discussion 473. [PMID: 26820476 DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0000000000000811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE High-fat diet (HFD)-induced hypertension in rabbits is neurogenic because of the central sympathoexcitatory actions of leptin. Hypothalamic melanocortin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons are recognized as the major signalling pathways through which leptin exerts its central effects. In this study, we assessed the effects of specific antagonists and agonists to melanocortin and NPY receptors on HFD-induced sympathoexcitation and hypertension. METHODS Rabbits were instrumented with intracerebroventricular cannula, renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) electrode, and blood pressure telemetry transmitter. RESULTS After 3 weeks HFD (13.5% fat, n = 12) conscious rabbits had higher RSNA (+3.8 nu, P = 0.02), blood pressure (+8.6 mmHg, P < 0.001) and heart rate (+15 b/min, P = 0.01), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hypothalamus compared with rabbits fed a control diet (4.2% fat, n = 11). Intracerebroventricular administration of the melanocortin receptor antagonist SHU9119 reduced RSNA (-2.7 nu) and blood pressure (-8.5 mmHg) in HFD but not control rabbits, thus reversing 100% of the hypertension and 70% of the sympathoexcitation induced by a HFD. By contrast, blocking central NPY Y1 receptors with BVD10 increased RSNA only in HFD rabbits. Intracerebroventricular α-melanocortin stimulating hormone increased RSNA and heart rate (P < 0.001) in HFD rabbits but had no effect in control rabbits. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that obesity-induced hypertension and increased RSNA are dependent on the balance between greater activation of melanocortin signalling through melanocortin receptors and lesser activation of NPY sympathoinhibitory signalling. The amplification of the sympathoexcitatory effects of α-melanocortin stimulating hormone also indicates that the underlying mechanism is related to facilitation of leptin-melanocortin signalling, possibly involving chronic activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
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A novel role for pigment genes in the stress response in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Sci Rep 2016; 6:28969. [PMID: 27373344 PMCID: PMC4931468 DOI: 10.1038/srep28969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In many vertebrate species visible melanin-based pigmentation patterns correlate with high stress- and disease-resistance, but proximate mechanisms for this trait association remain enigmatic. Here we show that a missense mutation in a classical pigmentation gene, melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor (MC1R), is strongly associated with distinct differences in steroidogenic melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) mRNA expression between high- (HR) and low-responsive (LR) rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We also show experimentally that cortisol implants increase the expression of agouti signaling protein (ASIP) mRNA in skin, likely explaining the association between HR-traits and reduced skin melanin patterning. Molecular dynamics simulations predict that melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP), needed for MC2R function, binds differently to the two MC1R variants. Considering that mRNA for MC2R and the MC1R variants are present in head kidney cells, we hypothesized that MC2R activity is modulated in part by different binding affinities of the MC1R variants for MRAP. Experiments in mammalian cells confirmed that trout MRAP interacts with the two trout MC1R variants and MC2R, but failed to detect regulation of MC2R signaling, possibly due to high constitutive MC1R activity.
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Kasten CR, Boehm SL. Preclinical Medication Development: New Targets and New Drugs. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:1418-24. [PMID: 27177689 PMCID: PMC4930385 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea R. Kasten
- Department of Psychology and Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indiana University – Purdue University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Stephen L. Boehm
- Department of Psychology and Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indiana University – Purdue University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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Anderson EJP, Çakir I, Carrington SJ, Cone RD, Ghamari-Langroudi M, Gillyard T, Gimenez LE, Litt MJ. 60 YEARS OF POMC: Regulation of feeding and energy homeostasis by α-MSH. J Mol Endocrinol 2016; 56:T157-74. [PMID: 26939593 PMCID: PMC5027135 DOI: 10.1530/jme-16-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The melanocortin peptides derived from pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) were originally understood in terms of the biological actions of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on pigmentation and adrenocorticotrophic hormone on adrenocortical glucocorticoid production. However, the discovery of POMC mRNA and melanocortin peptides in the CNS generated activities directed at understanding the direct biological actions of melanocortins in the brain. Ultimately, discovery of unique melanocortin receptors expressed in the CNS, the melanocortin-3 (MC3R) and melanocortin-4 (MC4R) receptors, led to the development of pharmacological tools and genetic models leading to the demonstration that the central melanocortin system plays a critical role in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Indeed, mutations in MC4R are now known to be the most common cause of early onset syndromic obesity, accounting for 2-5% of all cases. This review discusses the history of these discoveries, as well as the latest work attempting to understand the molecular and cellular basis of regulation of feeding and energy homeostasis by the predominant melanocortin peptide in the CNS, α-MSH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica J P Anderson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Isin Çakir
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sheridan J Carrington
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Roger D Cone
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Masoud Ghamari-Langroudi
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Taneisha Gillyard
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA Meharry Medical CollegeDepartment of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Luis E Gimenez
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael J Litt
- Department of Molecular Physiology and BiophysicsVanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Matsushita Y, Sakai Y, Shimmura M, Shigeto H, Nishio M, Akamine S, Sanefuji M, Ishizaki Y, Torisu H, Nakabeppu Y, Suzuki A, Takada H, Hara T. Hyperactive mTOR signals in the proopiomelanocortin-expressing hippocampal neurons cause age-dependent epilepsy and premature death in mice. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22991. [PMID: 26961412 PMCID: PMC4785342 DOI: 10.1038/srep22991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a frequent comorbidity in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). Recent studies utilizing massive sequencing data identified subsets of genes that are associated with epilepsy and FCD. AKT and mTOR-related signals have been recently implicated in the pathogenic processes of epilepsy and FCD. To clarify the functional roles of the AKT-mTOR pathway in the hippocampal neurons, we generated conditional knockout mice harboring the deletion of Pten (Pten-cKO) in Proopiomelanocortin-expressing neurons. The Pten-cKO mice developed normally until 8 weeks of age, then presented generalized seizures at 8–10 weeks of age. Video-monitored electroencephalograms detected paroxysmal discharges emerging from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. These mice showed progressive hypertrophy of the dentate gyrus (DG) with increased expressions of excitatory synaptic markers (Psd95, Shank3 and Homer). In contrast, the expression of inhibitory neurons (Gad67) was decreased at 6–8 weeks of age. Immunofluorescence studies revealed the abnormal sprouting of mossy fibers in the DG of the Pten-cKO mice prior to the onset of seizures. The treatment of these mice with an mTOR inhibitor rapamycin successfully prevented the development of seizures and reversed these molecular phenotypes. These data indicate that the mTOR pathway regulates hippocampal excitability in the postnatal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Matsushita
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yasunari Sakai
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mitsunori Shimmura
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shigeto
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Miki Nishio
- Division of Cancer Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Satoshi Akamine
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masafumi Sanefuji
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshito Ishizaki
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Torisu
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yusaku Nakabeppu
- Division of Neurofunctional Genomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Akira Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Takada
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Toshiro Hara
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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mRNA GPR162 changes are associated with decreased food intake in rat, and its human genetic variants with impairments in glucose homeostasis in two Swedish cohorts. Gene 2016; 581:139-45. [PMID: 26827797 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a class of integral membrane proteins mediating intercellular interactions of fundamental physiological importance for survival including regulation of food intake, blood pressure, and hormonal sensing signaling, among other roles. Homeostatic alterations in the physiological status of GPCRs are often associated with underlying causes of disease, and to date, several orphan GPCRs are still uncharacterized. Findings from our previous study demonstrate that the Rhodopsin family protein GPR162 is widely expressed in GABAergic as well as other neurons within the mouse hippocampus, whereas extensive expression is observed in hypothalamus, amygdala, and ventral tegmental area, regions strictly interconnected and involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis and hedonic feeding. In this study, we provide a further anatomical characterization of GPR162 in mouse brain via in situ hybridization as well as detailed mRNA expression in a panel of rat tissues complementing a specie-specific mapping of the receptor. We also provide an attempt to demonstrate a functional implication of GPR162 in food intake-related behavior via antisense knockdown studies. Furthermore, we performed human genetic studies in which for the first time, variants of the GPR162 gene were associated with impairments in glucose homeostasis.
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Chartoff EH, Mavrikaki M. Sex Differences in Kappa Opioid Receptor Function and Their Potential Impact on Addiction. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:466. [PMID: 26733781 PMCID: PMC4679873 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral, biological, and social sequelae that lead to drug addiction differ between men and women. Our efforts to understand addiction on a mechanistic level must include studies in both males and females. Stress, anxiety, and depression are tightly linked to addiction, and whether they precede or result from compulsive drug use depends on many factors, including biological sex. The neuropeptide dynorphin (DYN), an endogenous ligand at kappa opioid receptors (KORs), is necessary for stress-induced aversive states and is upregulated in the brain after chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. KOR agonists produce signs of anxiety, fear, and depression in laboratory animals and humans, findings that have led to the hypothesis that drug withdrawal-induced DYN release is instrumental in negative reinforcement processes that drive addiction. However, these studies were almost exclusively conducted in males. Only recently is evidence available that there are sex differences in the effects of KOR activation on affective state. This review focuses on sex differences in DYN and KOR systems and how these might contribute to sex differences in addictive behavior. Much of what is known about how biological sex influences KOR systems is from research on pain systems. The basic molecular and genetic mechanisms that have been discovered to underlie sex differences in KOR function in pain systems may apply to sex differences in KOR function in reward systems. Our goals are to discuss the current state of knowledge on how biological sex contributes to KOR function in the context of pain, mood, and addiction and to explore potential mechanisms for sex differences in KOR function. We will highlight evidence that the function of DYN-KOR systems is influenced in a sex-dependent manner by: polymorphisms in the prodynorphin (pDYN) gene, genetic linkage with the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), heterodimerization of KORs and mu opioid receptors (MORs), and gonadal hormones. Finally, we identify several gaps in our understanding of “if” and “how” DYN and KORs modulate addictive behavior in a sex-dependent manner. Future work may address these gaps by building on the mechanistic studies outlined in this review. Ultimately this will enable the development of novel and effective addiction treatments tailored to either males or females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena H Chartoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Maria Mavrikaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital Belmont, MA, USA
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Song YT, Liu TT, Feng L, Zhang T, Xiang HB. Melanocortin-4 receptor expression in the cuneiform nucleus is involved in modulation of opioidergic signaling. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 35:662-665. [DOI: 10.1007/s11596-015-1486-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Krishnan A, Mustafa A, Almén MS, Fredriksson R, Williams MJ, Schiöth HB. Evolutionary hierarchy of vertebrate-like heterotrimeric G protein families. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 91:27-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Ramírez D, Saba J, Carniglia L, Durand D, Lasaga M, Caruso C. Melanocortin 4 receptor activates ERK-cFos pathway to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in rat astrocytes and hypothalamus. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 411:28-37. [PMID: 25892444 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Melanocortins are neuropeptides with well recognized anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects in the brain. Of the five melanocortin receptors (MCR), MC4R is abundantly expressed in the brain and is the only MCR present in astrocytes. We have previously shown that MC4R activation by the α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) analog, NDP-MSH, increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression through the classic cAMP-Protein kinase A-cAMP responsive element binding protein pathway in rat astrocytes. Now, we examined the participation of the mitogen activated protein kinases pathway in MC4R signaling. Rat cultured astrocytes treated with NDP-MSH 1 µM for 1 h showed increased BDNF expression. Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and ribosomal p90 S6 kinase (RSK), an ERK substrate, but not of p38 or JNK, prevented the increase in BDNF expression induced by NDP-MSH. Activation of MC4R increased cFos expression, a target of both ERK and RSK. ERK activation by MC4R involves cAMP, phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) and the non receptor tyrosine kinase, Src. Both PI3K and Src inhibition abolished NDP-MSH-induced BDNF expression. Moreover, we found that intraperitoneal injection of α-MSH induces BDNF and MC4R expression and activates ERK and cFos in male rat hypothalamus. Our results show for the first time that MC4R-induced BDNF expression in astrocytes involves ERK-RSK-cFos pathway which is dependent on PI3K and Src, and that melanocortins induce BDNF expression and ERK-cFos activation in rat hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ramírez
- INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J Saba
- INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - L Carniglia
- INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - D Durand
- INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Lasaga
- INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - C Caruso
- INBIOMED UBA-CONICET, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Obici S, Magrisso IJ, Ghazarian AS, Shirazian A, Miller JR, Loyd CM, Begg DP, Krawczewski Carhuatanta KA, Haas MK, Davis JF, Woods SC, Sandoval DA, Seeley RJ, Goodyear LJ, Pothos EN, Mul JD. Moderate voluntary exercise attenuates the metabolic syndrome in melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient rats showing central dopaminergic dysregulation. Mol Metab 2015; 4:692-705. [PMID: 26500841 PMCID: PMC4588435 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Melanocortin-4 receptors (MC4Rs) are highly expressed by dopamine-secreting neurons of the mesolimbic tract, but their functional role has not been fully resolved. Voluntary wheel running (VWR) induces adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system and has a myriad of long-term beneficial effects on health. In the present experiments we asked whether MC4R function regulates the effects of VWR, and whether VWR ameliorates MC4R-associated symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. Methods Electrically evoked dopamine release was measured in slice preparations from sedentary wild-type and MC4R-deficient Mc4rK314X (HOM) rats. VWR was assessed in wild-type and HOM rats, and in MC4R-deficient loxTBMc4r mice, wild-type mice body weight-matched to loxTBMc4r mice, and wild-type mice with intracerebroventricular administration of the MC4R antagonist SHU9119. Mesolimbic dopamine system function (gene/protein expression) and metabolic parameters were examined in wheel-running and sedentary wild-type and HOM rats. Results Sedentary obese HOM rats had increased electrically evoked dopamine release in several ventral tegmental area (VTA) projection sites compared to wild-type controls. MC4R loss-of-function decreased VWR, and this was partially independent of body weight. HOM wheel-runners had attenuated markers of intracellular D1-type dopamine receptor signaling despite increased dopamine flux in the VTA. VWR increased and decreased ΔFosB levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of wild-type and HOM runners, respectively. VWR improved metabolic parameters in wild-type wheel-runners. Finally, moderate voluntary exercise corrected many aspects of the metabolic syndrome in HOM runners. Conclusions Central dopamine dysregulation during VWR reinforces the link between MC4R function and molecular and behavioral responding to rewards. The data also suggest that exercise can be a successful lifestyle intervention in MC4R-haploinsufficient individuals despite reduced positive reinforcement during exercise training. MC4R-deficiency causes metabolic syndrome. Loss of MC4R signaling decreases voluntary wheel running (VWR). Despite moderate amounts of VWR, MC4R-associated metabolic syndrome is severely attenuated. MC4R-deficiency is associated with mesolimbic dopamine dysregulation during VWR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Obici
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - I Jack Magrisso
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Armen S Ghazarian
- Programs in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alireza Shirazian
- Programs in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonas R Miller
- Programs in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christine M Loyd
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Denovan P Begg
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA ; School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Michael K Haas
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jon F Davis
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Stephen C Woods
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Darleen A Sandoval
- North Campus Research Complex, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Randy J Seeley
- North Campus Research Complex, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Emmanuel N Pothos
- Programs in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joram D Mul
- Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA ; Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Dopamine release in the lateral hypothalamus is stimulated by α-MSH in both the anticipatory and consummatory phases of feeding. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 56:79-87. [PMID: 25805178 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), is a hypothalamic neuropeptide signaling satiation, but it is not known if α-MSH may stimulate dopamine release in a feeding control brain region of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), during the anticipatory and consummatory phases of feeding behavior. To address these questions, dynamics of dopamine release were measured in 15 min microdialysis samples simultaneously from the LHA and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) during consecutive exposure and provision of food and 1% sucrose in Wistar rats after overnight food deprivation. α-MSH was infused via the microdialysis probe either into the LHA or NAc starting before food exposure. Food, sucrose and water intakes were automatically monitored and analyzed concomitantly with microdialysis samples. We found that LHA-α-MSH-infused rats stopped eating earlier and consumed less food and sucrose as compared to control and NAc-α-MSH-infused rats. Exposure to food produced a peak of LHA dopamine in both LHA-α-MSH and NAc-α-MSH-infused rats but not in the controls. During food provision, LHA dopamine levels were strongly elevated in LHA-α-MSH infused rats, while delivery of α-MSH into the NAc induced a less intense increase of dopamine in both NAc and LHA. In all rats, LHA dopamine levels correlated inversely with sucrose intake. In conclusion, our study showed that α-MSH stimulates dopamine release in the LHA during both the anticipatory and consummatory phases of feeding, decreases food intake and inhibits sucrose intake. These data suggest that LHA dopamine release can be involved in α-MSH anorexigenic effects.
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